Spot On: This is a Generic Millennial Ad

Image by Dissolve

Our goal with Spot On is to highlight incredible creative that’s resonating with consumers out in the real world and inspire our community of writers, animators, and filmmakers to really analyze the content to learn something new. 

One video that has clearly resonated is the latest from Dissolve, a stock photo and footage service that’s made a name for itself through quirky, satirical marketing (see also: This is a Generic Brand Video). So far, it’s racked up nearly half a million views across the brand’s various channels, proving that humor can go a long way in getting your point across. Let’s watch:

Why it works

Sometimes you have to use a 2x4 to get the point across, which is exactly what’s happening in this send up of general millennial advertising created by And/Or and made exclusively using stock footage from Dissolve’s library.

Best of all, at over 3 minutes in length, it never misses a beat. From the outdated slang, to the selfies and peace signs, it’s a scintillating indictment of cringe-worthy millennial tropes out-of-touch marketers have exploited in an attempt to ingratiate themselves with a generation whose behavior they’ve found easier to stereotype than to try and actually understand…#Ouch

What you can learn

But between the sparklers and spontaneous dance parties, there’s a lesson to be learned here, both in the approach and the content. 

First: funny works. If you want to make something people actually want to watch (or better yet share), make something that will make people laugh. Sometimes it feels like a lost art in an industry dominated by “sadvertising,” but humor is especially effective when the laughs are not cheap, but the result of incisive, wry, comedic wit.

Second: tropes are tropes for a reason. In the way that blue collar workers smiling, high speed trains and people planting trees became synonymous with a generic brand video, this spot should serve as a wake-up call for thinking they can appeal to Millennials through cultural misappropriation and the misuse of hashtags. All to say that if the brief calls for a spot that makes "X product relatable to Millennials,” try to avoid what feels familiar and look for a new, creative and truthful way in. Totes. 

--- 

What did you think of this spot? Which ad should we tackle next? Tell us all about it in the comments below.